


Children Record

by entwinedinaweb



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crossover? Sort of?, Gen, Kagepro!AU, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Suicide, kagerou project - Freeform, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-17
Updated: 2015-06-30
Packaged: 2018-03-13 09:38:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3376745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/entwinedinaweb/pseuds/entwinedinaweb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagerou Project!AU: Ciel Phantomhive passed away in a fire that killed his family when he was ten years old. However, he was given a second chance at life, this time being given a superhuman power.  With the help of a group of teenagers who have also received powers from the mysterious haze after dying, Ciel sets out to find out how to control his powers and investigate why he received them in the first place. [Modern AU inspired by the Kagerou Project]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! It's been a while. So I've been wanting to do an RP with Alois based off of Kagepro/Mekakucity Actors (which you should watch if you haven't already!), and it was suggested to me that a fic be made instead. So I decided to go for it :D
> 
> You don't need to know Kagepro to understand the fic, it will all be explained (probably in a less confusing way too).  
> Shout out to medusa-queen-mary on tumblr for helping me out!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Kuro or Kagepro, or anything in here. Except...maybe my OCs if they end up making an appearance?

_Where….where was he? The last thing Ciel had known was that he was dying. The smoke was so thick that he could hardly breathe. He wasn’t sure where exactly he was in the house, but he knew  he had to move quickly. He recalled the sounds of the beams on the roof cracking and splintering, falling, crushing…_

_But he wasn’t in his home any longer. He was in someplace….strange.  He couldn’t move his arms or his legs, it was as if he was frozen in place. What was this? Was this heaven? It was much more empty than he ever would’ve imagined. There was no one but himself…_

_That was, until he looked again. A voice began calling out to him, a figure from across the room._

_“Ciel…”_

_Was it an angel? No…This voice sounded familiar. Definitely a voice he’d heard many times before calling him name. As he looked up, he saw the source. His father stood far across the strange space they were in, a pained smile on his face._

_“Go, Ciel…”_

_“Go? Where? Father, I don’t understand…where are we?” The boy called out, trying his hardest to escape the invisible binds that held him in place._

_“I don’t have that much time left. Please, just promise me you’ll go.”_

_“No father! Please, I don’t want to leave!” He was trying with all his might to burst free, to move even an inch. He didn’t want to leave his father’s side. He was frightened to be alone on his own, and the fear was evident in his features. Big, sapphire eyes began watering as he struggled to move. “Father…father, no!”_

_With one last grin, the man felt himself being pulled back, offering his son only a few more words. “Go…Ciel…”_

_Where was his father going? No…he couldn’t be alone. Not in this strange place. “Father?! Father!!” He struggled and pushed against the binds, screaming out in his panic. But after moments of relentless failure, he felt himself taking a leap forward, finally free. He began running towards his father, frantic to bring him back. “FATHER!! FATHER, NO!!!” But by the time he reached the other side, Vincent had vanished, leaving Ciel alone in the unfamiliar place. “FATHER!!!”  The boy fell to his knees, crying out, sobbing uncontrollably. “N-No….Don’t leave me, father…”_

_“ **Such a disappointment, wouldn’t you say, boy?”** another voice cooed, this one being completely unfamiliar to Ciel._

_His heart began pounding in his chest as he began to look around for the source. He couldn’t see a thing now, everything had gone black, just as it had when he had died. Where was this place? “Wh…Who are you? What do you want?”_

**_“I mean you no harm, do not be afraid.  It just seems, that with your father gone, you will be taking over for him, yes? He owns a company? Being the man of the family…sounds exciting, doesn’t it, Ciel?” The voice began to chuckle, lowering itself into a softer whisper. “A big business owner in such a small child. They will laugh at you.”_ **

_Ciel never imagined taking over the family company. He was still a child, only ten years old, after all. But even still, those words struck him. Being laughed at, not taken seriously, was a blow to his dignity. His father had taught him to be proud of himself, to never let others defer that pride. He was a Phantomhive, one of many great men, like his father and those before him. “No…they won’t laugh. I’ll be a man.”_

**_“A tiny man, eh? Hehe…You certainly are an amusing one. What sort of man lies down and blubbers like that?”_ **

_Sapphire hues shot open, fists clenching tightly at his sides. “No…no you’re wrong. Men don’t cry, and I won’t cry either.”_

**_“But isn’t it just human to do so? Do you wish to conceal the one thing that makes a human being so different from other animals?”_ **

_“I won’t let anyone see me cry.” The boy hissed, glaring out into the darkness, as if a person were there waiting for him. “I’ll be a man.”_

_Another chuckle. **“If that’s your wish, then….I shall grant it.”**_

_“Wish? What are you-?”_

_But he would never receive an answer. As he looked up, all he could see was a pair of glowing green eyes before him. He was restrained once more, unable to move. No…he didn’t want this. What was happening?! He could feel himself being torn away from the darkness, being ripped to shreds, unable to escape or scream. Then the voice was gone, the darkness was gone._

_That was all Ciel could remember when he awoke the following morning._


	2. Ciel's State of the World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So here we go with the real story! If there are any questions, feel free to ask and I'll try to answer without spoilers :D  
> Do enjoy!

Edward Midford had to be one of the strangest people Ciel had ever met.  The boy had little to no desire to ever leave the house. Even school became a nuisance for him. Edward had a long history of skipping classes, sometimes for days at a time.  And when he did go, he’d rush right back home, and right back to his room.  Hell, it seemed the only reason Edward would ever go to school was because he was too afraid of his mother to keep staying at home.

After his home caught fire four years ago, Ciel had been living with his Aunt Frances and the Midford family. The dynamic in the family was odd now, though, not like it was back when Ciel was a child. Many things had changed since then. Frances played both father and mother to the three adolescents, Edward attended school and shut himself inside, Ciel was going to school and working part-time at his family’s company, and Lizzy….Lizzy’s story was the oddest of all. Lizzy now had a record deal with a well-known producer, after he discovered videos of her that she posted online.  Lizzy’s life was turned completely upside down since then.

The Midford household was a hectic one, Ciel would give it that.

The Phantomhive boy had been plopped inside of Edward’s rather spacious room, nibbling on a chocolate bar as he looked over a few spreadsheets for work. He’d been in a paid internship since the previous spring. Since had been so young, the Funtom company was handed over to his Aunt Angelina, but he had been allowed to work in a small position while he attended school. He didn’t do much at the job, just filing paperwork and such, but it was a start. Anne had asked him to proofread a few of her documents for her, and for some reason, he found it easiest to do in Edward’s room.  He didn’t exactly care for his cousin’ s company, but he enjoyed the background noise the boy emitted.

Edward’s friend, simply being known at school as Cheslock (He had a first name, but he apparently hated it so much, that he’d threatened to  punch a poor first year in the stomach because he used it once…..so they simply called him Cheslock), had been visiting the Midford home today, just like he did almost every other day.

Edward didn’t have many friends at school. He kept to himself, never really participated in clubs and such, and he missed enough days that at the end of the first term, there had been classmates who were wondering if Edward Midford even existed. Cheslock had been the only one to ever reach him. To Ciel, their relationship was odd.  The two boys had hardly anything in common, and they fought almost constantly. He didn’t understand why Edward would want to keep the company of a boy who treated him so terribly.   But as he recalled earlier, Edward was strange.

The two older boys gathered around Edward’s computer, both equipped with an instrument of their choosing. If there was one thing the classmates could agree on, it was their music. Cheslock had been known to be a genius when it came to music, and Edward had played guitar for as long as Ciel could remember. When the two got together, this was what they normally did. However, today was different. They were working on a project.

“Stop! Stop, stop, stop!” Edward screeched, cutting off the virtuoso, hands waving madly in front of him. “That’s an _E_ flat, not a D flat!”

Cheslock dropped his violin, returning the boy’s outburst with a black-tipped middle finger. “Calm  the fuck down. I messed up one note. We’ll just do it over again.”

“But we can’t just ‘do it over again!’ This isn’t a game, Cheslock!”

“You’re taking this too damn seriously, Midford! Calm _down._ ”

Ciel let out an audible sigh, beginning to rub at the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He liked the white noise in this room….but not this loud. “What are you two going on about now?”

“Oi, why don’t you keep your arse out of our business, Phantomhive?” Cheslock snapped, tilting his head back to glare at the younger boy.  Cheslock wasn’t exactly Ciel’s biggest fan. The two were merely tolerant of each other because they saw one another more often than they would’ve liked.

“If you _must_ know,” Edward answered, as if the tiny spat between the other two hadn’t even happened. “We’re trying to write a few songs, for Lizzy’s next album. But she won’t have another album if _someone_ can’t tell the difference between and E and a D.”

“I said it was a mistake, Midford!! Jesus!  Why do you even care so much?” The virtuoso snapped back.

“Because it’s for Lizzy and I will have everything perfect for her!! She will only sing the finest music!”

Violet eyes quickly rolled, a low groan soon following. “…you have some issues, mate.”

“I don’t have issues, alright?” Edward turned away from the other two, focusing now on his computer. “There’s nothing wrong with me being concerned about her. I almost lost her once, it’s only natural that I—“

However, the Midford boy was cut short by the sound of rustling papers. Ciel had gotten up in the middle of the other’s speech. “If you’re going to keep on talking, I’ll find somewhere else to go.”

Shit…Edward had forgotten about Ciel. The poor thing, losing his parents, his uncle, and almost losing his cousin? It must’ve been so difficult on him. The blond chewed on his lip a brief moment before reaching out towards his younger cousin. “Ciel, wait. I’m sorry, for bringing that up. Look, if you’re upset—“

“Upset?” The brunette repeated, stopping in his tracks. Turning around towards the older boys, he simply gave a shrug of his shoulders. “I’m not upset at all. I just find you to be obnoxious with all your shouting, that’s all. Carry on.”

Upset…what a silly notion. Ciel didn’t become upset. Hell, Ciel never felt much of anything, not since _that day._ It was so strange…while in that place between heaven and hell, he had wished to become a man, to never let his petty emotions get in the way of achieving his ultimate goals. How odd was it to find that it had actually worked? As he walked past a mirror in the hallway, the Phantomhive boy stopped to take a look at his now glowing, red eye.  It happened every time he used his powers, to conceal his true emotions, so that they wouldn’t interfere. It was a pain, hiding it from the others. Some people had noticed and he was ridiculed for it. But it was never anything Ciel had really cared about.

Well…at least he made it seem that way. Of course, it intrigued him. What was it about that place that had given him such an ability? Why was he allowed a second chance at life with this ability, and no one else? The questions haunted Ciel. He had no idea where it could’ve come from. Was it magic? Was it a miracle? A curse? He was afraid to even inquire about it, people would think he was mad.

Everyone, except one other person.

There was one other boy Ciel knew who had gone through a similar situation. He had died unexpectedly, he was taken to the same strange place, and he came back to life with bright red eyes. His powers were infinitely different than Ciel’s were.  But he understood Ciel’s predicament better than anyone else. Ciel had never told another soul before. He never knew anyone else who had experienced it.

No one except Alois Trancy.

Speaking of the devil…Ciel felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, whipping it out to check. A text from none other than Alois. “Dammit, Trancy…”

 **Text from: [Ass Face]**  
Sent at: 4:39 PM  
Text:  
‘Lol Ciellypoooo~ Come over to my place! I have a surprise here for you!’

 _Damn twat…_ Ciel mentally cursed, stopping in his tracks to send a quick reply.

* * *

 

Alois had been sitting on the couch, snickering as he received a text back from his friend.

 **Text from: [Ciellypoo <3]**  
Sent at: 4:41 PM  
Text:  
‘…..fine. But you better make this quick.’

“What did ‘e say? Is ‘e comin’?” A voice asked eagerly beside the blond.

With a smirk on his face, Alois leaned back against the couch, chuckling to himself. “He’ll be here. I guarantee.”


	3. Midford Attention

All Lizzy had wanted to do was get somewhere she could be alone…but that had backfired, just like always.  The blonde girl hurriedly lifted her hood over her head, practically leaping into a nearby alley. Hopefully this would throw them off.  She made sure she was hidden behind a trash can, slouching against the wall until she slid onto her bum. Dammit…she was so sick of this.

Lizzy never thought being a singer would be this difficult. Everything had changed since the moment she signed that record deal. She was whisked away from her boring, everyday life and was thrown into a world she was unfamiliar with, a world of fame and fortune and tabloids. It was difficult for her to get adjusted at first, what with all the attention she’d been getting. Hell, even her own family seemed to treat her differently.

With a deep breath, she took out her phone, quickly swiping through the multitude of messages. Despite the fact that she was every teen girl’s idol, she still had to attend school, just as her brother did. At the beginning, she still went to the public school with her family and her friends. She soon had a small group following her around. But that group turned into a crowd, and that crowd, a mob. Almost every person in school had her number in their phone. It had gotten to the point that she couldn’t even walk through a single hallway without being bombarded by people.

Strangely enough…that had been happening a lot lately. Wherever she went, people seemed to flock to her. She wasn’t exactly prepared for the fame she enlisted to receive. Of course, having people be attentive to her was nothing Lizzy wasn’t used to. She’d had people flocking to her ever since that day…

* * *

 

_“Mother, we’re leaving!” Lizzy called out as she gathered her bags to bring them out to the car. She was off to a fencing tournament in Surrey this morning. It was a rather important match for her. If she won this, not only would she get another trophy to place in her room,  but she’d move on to a national competition. This was huge for her, and she was fully aware of it._

_“Goodbye, mother! Wish me luck!” She cheered, running down the halls. Her feet froze when she stopped to look at an open door. Her brother’s door. Edward had been acting a bit strange since Uncle Vincent and Aunt Rachel passed. He hadn’t had very much interaction with Ciel, or even Lizzy for that matter. Everyone around her had been so sad lately…_

_Bursting into his room, she immediately rushed to give him a hug, pulling him away from the guitar he was tuning. “Brother, wish me luck! I’m off to my tournament!”_

_Jumping at the sudden hug, and the equally sudden shriek from his sister’s mouth, Edward pulled back, his hand clasping at his chest. “Jesus, Lizzy!! You scared the crap out of me!!”_

_Giggling at his displeasure, the blonde girl placed her bags down on the floor. “I’m sorry. Are you sure you don’t want to come cheer me on? It’s going to be just father and I, and I know he’s going to embarrass me like he did last time…”_

_“No, I don’t want to go.” The elder answered straightforwardly, immediately turning back to messing with his instrument._

_“But why not? It’ll be  more fun than sitting around here with mother. And besides, she’s busy with taking care of Ciel. Are you sure you don’t want to come?”_

_“I said no, Lizzy. Just go. I’ll see you when you come home.”_

_Edward didn’t want to come with her? That was surprising. Normally Lizzy and Edward did everything together. He’d come to her fencing matches and her choir concerts, and she’d stay with him and listen to his new songs or play video games with him.  What had changed between them? Edward was getting older now. He was already fourteen. He was well into secondary school, he had friends of his own now. He didn’t need a little girl like Lizzy anymore._

_With her smile becoming sadder, she grabbed her bags up again and began exiting the room. “I’m going to try my hardest to win. Because if I do, I know it’ll make you happy. You and Ciel. I want you to be so happy.”  Despite the confused feelings she had, she forced a happy smile onto her lips. “I’ll see you later, Edward.”_

_If only she had known then what was to come._

* * *

 

The moments after she left the house had become a blur to Lizzy. She remembered getting in the car with her father, she remembered a horn blasting, a crash, a flash of light.  Then nothing. She had awoken nearly two weeks later in the hospital, with everyone surrounding her. Nearly every doctor in the hospital had come to see her.

At the time, she thought that it was simply because she had been in such a dire state, that people were generally happy to see her alive. But then it continued on. For weeks afterwards, at school, at her fencing matches, people were drawn to her. They were intrigued at every little thing she did.  And one day, when she was in the bathroom at school, she noticed her eyes. Bright red whenever a crowd would approach her. She had been terrified of what was happening. She never told a soul, just made up stories around it.

That was how the record producer had come to find her songs on the internet. Even they were drawn to her. She didn’t know what it was that had made her sign up for such a stressful life. But at the moment it just seemed too perfect to pass up. It was every girl’s dream to be famous.

But there were many, many, _many_ downsides. Like her inability to walk down a damn street.

Slipping her phone back into her pocket, and adjusting her hood, she figured that the coast would be clear by now. The crowd couldn’t stand out there forever, could they?  She lifted herself up and began to hurriedly scurry out of the alley. Good, no one so far. Yes, this was perfect! Finally, some time to herse—!

_SMACK!_

Right as Lizzy had exited the alley, she had immediately ran into the person in front of her. She had toppled back a few steps, her hood being forced down, but the other person had been completely pushed to the ground. Shit… “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” She apologized  as she regained her balance. _Goddammit, you had one chance and you already blew it!_ “Are you alright? I didn’t even see you there…” She reached a hand towards the victim of her roughness.

“Jesus Christ, lady!” the girl chastised, brushing herself off as she started to stand up. “Can’ ya look where yer goin’ when ya walk?!”

What a rude girl. Lizzy had never met anyone so rude before. Then again, she didn’t spend that much time in public anymore, for fear of being trampled. But this girl didn’t seem to be like the rest. She was…odd. Mismatched tights, a strange, poofy skirt, mousey brown hair that completely covered her one eye. What was this girl?

“Look, I’m sorry. I was just trying to get out of here as fast as I could and—!”

“Why? Why are ye in such an ‘urry?”

“Because, if we don’t—!”

Those words…Those words were like magic, like damn Beetlejuice. If Lizzy noticed how calm and quiet things were, it would immediately turn to chaos. Someone would find her and someone would start a mob.  She could already hear a couple of cries from the people around them.”

“Is that the pop star??”

“It’s Elizabeth Midford, look!”

“Let’s get an autograph!”

Lizzy carefully turned around, wincing at the small crowd that had formed around her.  Not again... “That’s why. _Run.”_ She quickly grabbed the girl’s hand and began  her sprint. The last thing she wanted was this poor girl to get trampled or run over by a crazed fan.  That would be on her conscience forever.  Lizzy wasn’t even sure where she was running anymore. She was just trying her hardest to get away from the crowd.

“Why are they followin’ ya?!” The girl yelled over the cheers and cries of the crowd behind them.

“It’s a long story! Let’s just get somewhere they’ll leave us alone!” The blonde screamed, pushing forward despite the fact that her legs were beginning to hurt. Why the hell did she agree to wear these shoes today? Nina was going to get it when she saw her next.

The other girl stopped running, freezing in place, causing Lizzy to stop too. “I know where t’go! Jus’ follow me! We’ll get ‘em off our arses soon enou—“ But the girl paused, her lone eye locking with Lizzy’s. She’d seen Lizzy’s eyes, her bright red eyes. Shit! No one had ever seen them before! But the girl just tightened her grip on the singer’s hand, tugging her in the opposite direction. “Let’s go!”

Damn…this girl was fast. Lizzy didn’t even know if she could trust her. This girl could be trouble, she could be kidnapping her for all she knew. But she was desperate enough to get away from the crowd. At least if she was kidnapped she didn’t have to perform  for a while…

But while Lizzy was busy thinking, she didn’t even realize that they had lost the crowd some time ago. They were surrounded by houses now, big houses, much like her own. That was a bit of a relief, at least it wasn’t something shady.  “Where are we going?” Lizzy asked, as the girl pulled her up towards one of the houses. It looked...disheveled to say the least. Like no one had tended to the shrubbery or the lawn in a long time. Oh…

“Can you just tell me what we’re doing? Where are you taking me?”

The girl knocked on the door, finally freeing Lizzy from her grip. She greeted the girl with a sly smile. “Yer eyes. They’re not natural.”

Lizzy soon froze, backing up a few steps from the girl. Shit, she knew about her eyes. She must’ve thought something was wrong with her, like she possessed by a demon or something. “I…I don’t know why they do that! It happens when I’m in crowds and—!”

But Lizzy was cut off by a giggle from the other girl. “There ain’t no need t’panic.  We’re jus’ the same as you. The eyes, the power. Ye ain’t alone, blondie.” The girl soon flashed her own red eye, as proof.

“I…I don’t understand.” Lizzy continued on, still completely confused by the girl’s words. Powers? She had…powers?  “Who are you? What are you doing with me?”

“Yer really uppity, ain’t ya? Tha’ attention ye get. That ain’t normal. ‘s the power in yer eyes. ” The brunette giggled again, reaching out a hand to the girl. “You can call me Freckles.  This is our secret ‘ideout. We’re people jus’ like you.  We all ‘ave power.  We’ll teach ya t’ control yers so ye won’ t ‘ave to run anymore.”

So much information at once…Lizzy felt like her head was going to explode. The reason people were drawn to her, was her eyes? A power she held in them?  She listened to everything the girl said, but paused when she heard the last part. “I…can be normal? You could do that?”

“O’ course. With some trainin’, you’ll be good t’go!”

This had to be a dream. It was too good to be true. A group of people just like her who could help her become normal? So she could be with her family and see her friends, and cheer up Edward and Ciel…It was worth a shot.  “I’ll do it! I want to do it!”

As if on cue, the massive door to the even more massive house suddenly opened, revealing a blond boy. He looked to be around Lizzy’s own  age.  He threw a smirk at Freckles as he leaned against the doorway. “What, did you bring home a girlfriend?”

“Shut up, Alois. ‘s a new member. ‘er name’s…Elizabeth somethin’ er other.” Freckles retorted giving Lizzy a light shove towards Alois.

“A member?” Lizzy asked, craning her neck back to look at Freckles. “A member of what?”

“You didn’t even tell her? That’s cruel. “ Alois reached out, grabbing the blonde’s hand, ice blue eyes staring into olive ones.

“Welcome to our Gang.”


	4. Blindfold Code

“A…a gang?! I can’t join a gang!” Lizzy cried, tugging her hand away from Alois’ the moment he muttered those words. “I’m a singer! If the public saw I was part of a gang, my career would be over!”

Alois rolled his eyes, leaning against the frame of the doorway. “Jesus, calm down. Does it look like we’re that sort of gang?”

“I…I don’t know! I haven’t seen the rest of you!”

“Don’ worry!” Freckles shouted, giving Lizzy a good shove inside. “We ain’t gonna cause ye any trouble. I meant wha’ I said.  We’re like you. All of us.”

The blonde girl stumbled as she was forced into the foyer of the house, her body freezing in place afterwards, refusing to move another inch.  She knew this whole organization sounded too good to be true.  She thought she was just going to learn how to control the power inside her, not be initiated into some street thug crime syndicate.  Olive eyes darted around the estate’s interior, almost completely forgetting about the company that stood beside her.

The inside of the house was quite astonishing. The walls were colored a deep crimson, accented with gold. It was a bit dusty and some parts of the foyer looked to be in disarray, like the place had been abandoned for a long time.  This didn’t look like the home base of a gang. It looked like a very affluent person’s home. These people were becoming much more confusing. They said there were thugs, but they lived like aristocrats. How could that be?

“What is this place?” She began taking careful steps around to get a better view, making sure not to do anything to set off the teenagers.

“You like it?” Alois asked, trotting  up towards the girl so that he stood directly next to her. “We stole this place. Ransacked it and killed the old owner.”

Nearly jumping a good five feet in the air, Lizzy began scuffling backwards towards the door, eyes wide with fright. “Y-You did _WHAT?!”_

“Alois,” Freckles hissed, gripping onto Lizzy’s shoulder before she could dart out of the estate. Her lone, dark blue eye narrowed into a deathly glare the moment she heard cruel giggles from the boy’s mouth. “Give ‘er an ‘eart attack, why don’ ya?”

Snickering , and still amused with his own dark joke, the blond boy plastered a smile onto his face, conjuring a flower quickly in his hand to hold out to the girl. “I’m sorry, I scared you didn’t I? I always like to play with new recruits.” Noticing the flower going untouched, he waved it away, allowing it to disappear into thin air. “This is where I grew up, actually. It’s my father’s place, but he died years ago, so…it’s mine now.”

Quite relieved that these kids hadn’t actually brutally murdered someone, Lizzy soon became focused on the odd trick the boy had performed. “How did you do that? How did you make that disappear?”

“Easy,” he smirked, his eyes flashing a signature red, the same as her own. “It wasn’t there to begin with. You just thought it was.”

Freckles soon chimed in, before Lizzy could ask any further questions. She knew the singer would be confused. It was easier to just give her the information outright. “Tha’s ‘is power. Alois uses deception. ‘e can make ye see things tha’ ain’t really there. Sorta scary.”

The blonde girl remained silent, trying to take in all the new information she’d just been given.  This day was just getting stranger.  This Alois boy could manipulate people’s minds, she herself could attract all sorts of attention, and Freckles….well, she wasn’t quite sure what the other girl’s power was yet. “That’s…really scary.” Her fingers began clenching and releasing rhythmically as her eyes began to focus on Alois. Was he even real right now? Was any of this real? Or was this all an illusion? “How many of you are there? Do…they have strange powers too?”

“Hey, strange is a word we don’t use in this house,” Alois mockingly scolding, wagging his index finger in the girl’s face.  “We prefer raging lunatics, thank you very mu—OW!” A quick jab in the side from Freckles was enough to get him to shut up.

“Ignore ‘im…” Freckles muttered, taking Lizzy’s hand. Alois wasn’t helping their cause at all. Sure, he liked the play around and it was all in good fun, but Lizzy didn’t know that. They could scare her off. Freckles didn’t want to lose another member. She wanted to know more about these powers, who else had them, what they could do together. And most of all…she wanted friends like her. They all did.  The brunette girl began leading the singer down the hall, Alois quickly following behind them. “There’s four o’ us  currently.  Me, Alois, Finny, an’ Sully.”

“Well, five if we count you,” Alois chimed in happily from the back.

Lizzy, admittedly, was only half-listening to the conversation. She was too busy being engulfed by the home she was in. It reminded her very much of her own. They passed a series of pictures on their way to meet the rest of the group. In all of them, there was a little blond boy. Alois said this was his home, so it had to be him in the portraits.  The man next to him was his father, presumably, and…in some, there was another little boy, an auburn haired boy. A brother perhaps? Was he waiting in the back then?

Alois…didn’t seem to be normal. He mentioned his father had died, and yet he was smiling, happily parading over his property like it was a joyous occasion. That frightened her. What sort of madman would cheer over his own father’s death? When her father died, in that car crash on the way to her match, she couldn’t forgive herself. She refused to eat, she could hardly sleep, they had to keep her in the hospital for days after she was freed from her coma. So how could this boy smile and tell jokes about his father’s death? She decided from then to stick closer to Freckles, she didn’t want to be alone with Alois.

Suddenly, however, they stopped moving, only for Lizzy to see they were in a hallway in front of a door. “Are ye ready t’come in?” Freckles asked, giving the blonde’s hand a squeeze.

“I…” The singer returned the gang leader’s tight squeeze, settling herself in a calm and ready mindset. “Yes.  I’m ready.”

Freckles immediately pushed the door open, dragging Lizzy in with her, leaving Alois  to continue trailing behind them. She brought the girl to the center of the room, raising her perfectly manicured hand into the air victoriously. “Oi, listen up!! This is Elizabeth somethin’-er-other!  As of now, she’s officially gang member number five!”

Lizzy wasn’t expecting such a…loud introduction. She looked around the room, a bit nervous to see just what the other members looked like.  But she had to admit, she was surprised. Inside the room there was just a blond boy and a younger girl with long, dark hair, sitting at the foot of the coffee table.  The blonde could notice that these two were dressed just as strangely as Freckles was. The boy wore a green jumpsuit, complete with  painted flowers, and the girl wore a long dress that went down to her ankles, with frills and bows. These people all dressed so strangely, but they didn’t seem to be much harm. The girl had to be around thirteen at the most, what could a thirteen year old do?

“You really brought someone home with you?” the older blond asked, excitedly smiling at the new member. “It’s such a coincidence that they ran into each other, isn’t it, Sieglinde?” He gestured over towards the younger girl, who shot a glance up at Lizzy, only to quickly retract it a moment later.

“Let me introduce everyone to you, I can see you’re confused,” Alois chimed, trotting happily over to the little group. “My name’s Alois, but you know that. I’m member number two. Our gang leader is Freckles over there.” Grabbing Lizzy’s free hand, he tugged her away from Freckles, as to show her a bit more around the room. “The blondie down there is Finny, he’s number three. And the little runt over there is Sully.”

“I’m not a runt,” The girl in question snapped at the deceiver, now burying herself into the notebook that laid open before her on the desk. Lizzy immediately made notice of her thick accent. She was a foreigner? And so young…what was she doing here?

“Of course you’re not! Alois was just being mean!” Finny frantically explained, in hopes that the girl’s temper wouldn’t rise.  “ _Sieglinde, why don’t you introduce yourself to Elizabeth?”_  he muttered gently, lowering his voice so only the young girl would hear.

They were speaking German? Lizzy picked up on the dialect immediately. Edward used to study German in school. She remembered him and Cheslock having conversations in it when they were younger. Sieglinde pushed her notebook aside, giving a look over to the blond on the floor with her. “Finny…” Almost instantly, he got up reaching behind him for what looked like a pair of crutches. He was injured?

“Oh, you don’t have to get up if you--!” Lizzy attempted to explain, but the boy was already up just fine. So it wasn’t him who was hurt.

Finny returned to Sieglinde on the ground, helping her up with just a single arm around her waist, giving her the crutches right afterwards.  The little girl got herself situation and walked herself over to the new recruit, holding her hand out. “My name is Sieglinde Sullivan. You’re Elizabeth then?”

The singer’s eyes widened as the girl approached her. She caught a quick glance at her feet as she drew near. They were injured, and yet she could still walk on them with support? Perhaps this was a girl Lizzy needed to look out for.  Shaking her hand gently, she replied. “Er…Lizzy’s just fine. Lizzy Midford.”

But before any more of the conversation could take place, the group was cut-off by a huge gasp from Alois’ mouth. “Lizzy Midford??? Like the singer?!” How could he not recognize her? He listened to her music from time to time, for god’s sake! “Freckles, you didn’t tell me you bloody well kidnapped a singer! Are you stupid?! People will get suspicious if you--!”

Freckles reached out to vigorously place a hand over the deceiver’s yapping mouth. “Shut up, Trancy!  No one noticed a thing!”

Tugging the hand from his mouth, Alois continued to shout, “But if you’re a singer, what are you doing here? Don’t you have fancy-ass parties to go to or something?”

 _Well, I was taken here against my will,_ Lizzy thought, but that wasn’t the best way to start a conversation. A few moments ago, she would’ve been concerned with telling these gang members about her personal and professional life, but now they didn’t seem to be anything that could cause her harm. If anything, they were just…kids.

“Well, er…not exactly,” She began, sitting herself down on the nearby couch, hoping that Sieglinde would follow suit and not over-exert herself. “It was a good idea at the time, signing with that company, but I…kind of regret it now. I’m always busy, no one ever leaves me alone, I don’t have time to spend with my family….”

Alois shrugged, now perching himself on the arm of the couch. “I think it would be fun to be famous. You could have anything you wanted, any guy you wanted—“

“Not much o’ a stretch, rich boy,” Freckles grumbled, giving the blond a good shove off the couch. She took a seat next to Lizzy, giving her a calm smile, something she hadn’t done all day. “Ye ‘ave to understand, most o’ tha’ comes from yer powers as well.  Once ye learn t’ control ‘em, you can slip outta the limelight. Ye can be a regular girl again.”

Regular…girl? Lizzy hadn’t heard those words in years. She had never been a regular girl. She was a star athlete, the daughter of a wealthy business owner, a famous singer, never in her life had she imagined being normal. She could go to school, make friends, spend time with Ciel and Edward and make them happy. Maybe she could bring her broken family back together. Maybe she could be happy again.

She still wasn’t completely sure about this gang activity, but they had the answers. They held the key to her freedom from her powers.  “And…I can just be normal?”

“As normal as ye wanna be, blondie,” Freckles shrugged, giving the other girl a playful nudge.

“Controlling your powers won’t happen overnight, though. It’s a bit difficult, but you can do it,” Finny explained from his spot on the ground. “It took me a long time. I…er…I broke a lot of Alois’ things,” he admitted, giggling.

“What’s your power, then?” Lizzy asked, her attention now fully on the other two members.

“Me? Oh, well, I suppose I’m a bit stronger than average. Nothing fun like yours.” He watched as Sieglinde began her descent back onto the ground, helping her down carefully. “It took Sieglinde a long time to control hers too.”

“Finnian!” The girl in question shouted, her cheeks flushing. “It….It only took a while because I  didn’t speak English!”

Chuckling at the girl’s outburst, Lizzy smiled down at the pair on the floor. They seemed to be close to each other.  And they spoke the same language. Perhaps they were good friends or relatives even. “Well, I’m sure I’ll be able to do it, then. It’ll just take time. But, I suppose if that’s the case…I’ll join you.” But suddenly, her tone changed. Now, she adopted a more concerned look. “Jesus…I can’t believe I’m joining a gang. What will my mother think?”

Lizzy soon realized that parentage may not be a topic to bring up with these kids. Alois’ father had died, Freckles and Finny made no mention of parents, and Sieglinde was a little German girl alone in England.  Perhaps it was something to steer around, for the sake of avoiding awkward conversations.  “Better yet, what will my brother think? Or my manager? Or Ciel even! He’ll be so mad at me!”

Despite the fact that the current burst of dialogue was mostly Lizzy thinking out loud, Alois had noticed one thing in particular. A familiar name. “Wait…did you say Ciel?”

“I….yes?”

“Ciel Phantomhive?”

“…yes, do you…know him?”

 Icy blue eyes shot open, the blond boy becoming excitable once more. Lizzy was still unsure as to why he knew her cousin’s name or why he was so excited. “Of course I know him! We’ve been friends since we were little! How do you know Ciel?”

Ciel was friends with _this_ person? This was news to Lizzy. Ciel never mentioned anything about a gang or kids with strange eye powers. Or even an Alois Trancy for that matter. Was this just one of Alois’ deceptions? “Ciel’s my…cousin. He lives with my family.”

“Right! The Midfords, I didn’t even notice!” Alois giggled, now forcibly plopping himself between the two girls on the couch, as if they were all the best friends in the world, instead of newly introduced strangers. “I didn’t know his cousins were powered too!”

“Yes, he lives with us since his parents— _WAIT. WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘TOO?!’”_ Lizzy practically leapt up from her seat, throwing Alois a crazed look. Ciel had _powers?!_ How? Why? Why did he never tell her?!  Why was he closer to this…street thug than he was his own family?!

“Whoops,” Alois chuckled, uncomfortably.  Aw shit….Ciel was going to kill him the next time he saw him. “He…doesn’t like anyone to know. I’m the only one he’s ever told, because, well, we both saw the Haze, and…we were scared. He didn’t want to worry you, that’s all.”

She had no idea what the hell this Haze they mentioned was, but she didn’t care now. She was just furious. “I can’t believe he hid this from me all this time! I’m his family!!”

“Y’know…” Freckles interrupted, purposely stepping into the two blonds’ conversation. “If this Ciel ‘as powers, ‘e might as well come an’ join us too. The two o’ ye can work together t’ control yer eyes.  Then ye won’t ‘ave to ‘ave any more secrets. It’s worth a shot.”

Lizzy did not want to be reasoned with right now. She was hurting. Ciel had hidden away such an important part of his life from her, a part of him that could make them closer. Was that why he was so distant nowadays? Did he feel like no one would understand? Perhaps Freckles was right. Maybe he just needed a community of people who were like him. And they could work together and be like a family. It would make Ciel happy, she was sure of it.  And him and his happiness was so important to her.

Giving a defeated sigh, the singer nodded in agreement to the gang leader’s proposal. “Fine. We can invite him. Just…don’t tell him I’m here. He’ll get worried or tell my brother.”

Before Lizzy could even finish, Alois had whipped his phone out, snickering as he quickly sent his old friend a text.

 

 **Text to: [Ciellypoo <3]**  
Sent at: 4:39 PM  
Text:  
‘Lol Ciellypoooo~ Come over to my place! I have a surprise here for you!’

 

“There. All done.”

Freckles rolled her eye, giving the blond boy a jab in the side. “Tha’ was fast. What, d’ye like ‘im or somethin’?”

“I do not. We’re just friends,” The blond boy shrugged.

“Tha’s no’ fair! I can’t tell if yer lyin’ or not!”

“That’s the _point._ ”

Just then, Alois felt his phone vibrating on his lap. A reply already. This one was fast.

 

 **Text from: [Ciellypoo <3]**  
Sent at: 4:41 PM  
Text:  
‘…..fine. But you better make this quick.’

 

“What did ‘e say? Is ‘e comin’?” Freckles asked eagerly, pulling the phone towards herself so she could see.

With a smirk on his face, Alois leaned back against the couch, chuckling to himself. “He’ll be here. I guarantee.”


	5. Artificial Enemy

Ciel stared down blankly at his phone. A surprise for him? What the hell was Alois talking about? He knew the blond boy was a deceiver, but this was odd, even for him.  What could he possibly have waiting there for him? It was rare for Alois to invite him to his place nowadays, not since their parents died. They’d kept in touch and met up for movies or lunch, but it had been ages since Alois had wanted him to visit.

Ciel didn’t even know where Alois was now. Was he in his old home? Back with the foster family? On the streets? He never knew what exactly happened to him. The boy had become so distant in recent years. Ciel would never ever show it to anyone, even to Alois himself, but it worried him ever so slightly. As of now, Alois was the only other person he knew who had gone into that Haze, the only other person with crimson colored eyes. In a world where everything seemed so strange and mysterious, he liked having an outlet that could get him answers.

Alois and Ciel had been friends since as long as the eyepatch-clad boy could remember. Their fathers often worked together when they were children. They attended the same school, they had the same friends. And that changed when tragedy struck the both of them. Ciel remembered being taken into his father’s study when he was only ten years old, being told that Alois had passed away in an ‘accident.’ But then days later, the boy reemerged like nothing had ever happened. At that point, the blond became distant, quiet. After a year of becoming more detached from his only friend, Alois finally was moved away from his home  and put into foster care. Ciel never really knew why as a child. He remembered seeing bruises on the boy’s body before, but he never thought anything of it.

And that was where their communication ceased. Ciel remained distant for a long time. It wasn’t until he was around thirteen that he found a way to get in contact with the blond again. They had begun to talk to each other about their powers, the Haze, their lives.

Now, two years later, they kept in contact from time to time, but Alois was ready for him to fully come back into his life. Ciel, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure. Would it bring back memories? Of his parents? Of the life he used to live before he was forced into one of secrecy? Despite his ability to conceal his emotions from others, he still felt. He felt pain, and sadness, and joy inside him, but he would never show a single soul how he felt. He was hidden away to the rest of the world.  With his concealment and Alois’ deception, they made an interesting pair. It made Ciel wonder how much of their conversations were actually genuine.

“Ciel?” A voice rang from behind, forcing the boy to break his concentration. It was Edward, chasing the younger boy down the hallway. “Ciel wait…”

The boy in question, slowly turned around, letting his lone, cerulean eye meet with the hazel colored hues of his cousin’s. “Is something wrong?”

Edward carefully studied Ciel’s face as he quickly approached him, searching for any sign of discomfort or sadness. It was still eating at him,  bringing up Lizzy’s accident earlier. He knew that the two of them had a much closer relationship than he had with the younger boy. He didn’t want to make his cousin relive any of that pain…like he did. He could never forget.

“I’m still sorry about earlier. Look, if you’re upset with me, just tell me.”

Ciel’s lips turned upwards in a knowing smirk, shrugging at the blond boy. “I told you, I’m not upset.  You’re free to talk about whatever you’d like.” The boy began turning around to walk away, only to be grabbed and stopped by his cousin.

“Ciel, I’m serious,” Edward stated, his grip beginning to falter. “You’re freaking me out. How can you not be upset about this? About any of this?”

The dark-haired boy simply retorted, “I suppose it’s just something that comes naturally to me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m heading out.” He tried again to tug away from the older boy, but Edward pulled him back again.

“No,  I just want to talk, that’s it. I just want to understand why you—“ But the blond boy froze as his cousin was pulled towards him, the hood of his jacket falling to reveal a glowing red eye.  Edward’s own eyes widened, his hand releasing the younger’s arm.  No…it couldn’t be… “Ciel…you…”

But he was interrupted by the noise of the younger’s phone buzzing. Hurriedly Ciel pulled his  hood back up, unlocking his phone. Another message from Alois.

 **Text from: [Ass Face]**  
Sent at: 4:53 PM  
Text:  
‘Come on Cieeeeeeeeel! Meet me at my place! Look how excited your surprise is! Hurry up or my gang will keep her here for good. She’s lots of fun ;) ‘

Attached to the text was a photo, a picture taken by the deceiver. The blond was smiling, while in the background a brunette girl was yelling, and in the corner was…

“Lizzy?!” Ciel’s voice shouted, almost too loudly. What the hell did Alois have Lizzy for? A gang? The hell kind of gang was he in?

“Lizzy? What about Lizzy?” Edward asked, automatically becoming concerned. All thoughts and questions about Ciel’s odd eyes were dropped. Lizzy came first. “Wasn’t she out for the day? Is she alright?”

Quite stunned, the smaller boy simply handed his phone to his cousin, letting him make of it what he would. And it was only seconds before Edward let him know what he thought.

“LIZZY’S BEING HELD HOSTAGE BY A GANG?!” He screamed, also far too loudly, gripping onto Ciel’s shouldlers. “WHAT ARE YOU SENDING TEXTS FOR?! CALL THE POLICE! WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!”

“ _Relax,_ Edward…”

“I CAN’T RELAX RIGHT NOW, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! MY BABY SISTER’S BEEN KIDNAPPED BY DEGENERATES!”

And this was why Ciel never spent time with his older cousin. Edward was…interesting. His social skills were a bit off in Ciel’s opinion, but that was most likely due to the fact that he was a professional shut-in nowadays.

“First of all, you need to _calm down.”_ Ciel scolded, shooting the older boy a glare. “The last thing you want is Aunt Frances getting word of this. She’ll be pissed at all of us.”

Edward’s mouth immediately shut, his cheeks turning pink out of his pure frustration. What was Lizzy even doing with a gang?  What if they were holding her hostage for money? Or what if they were crazy, obsessed fans?  His mind was racing with all the possibilities. “We have to go and help her. We can’t just leave her there!”

“Alright, alright we’ll go. Just…try not to embarrass yourself…” Ciel tucked his phone back into the pocket of his hoodie, beginning to head off towards the front door, now with Edward in tow. They were going to get to the bottom of this.

* * *

 

“Why did you have to send him that picture?” Lizzy lamented, now sprawled across Alois’ couch. “I told you not to tell him I was here…”

Alois giggled, perching himself once again on the arm of the couch, his index finger poking at the top of her head. “Sorry, my fingers slipped.”

“He’s going to be wondering why I’m here…and he’s going to tell my mother. And then I won’t be able to come here again.”  For just having met these strangers, Lizzy felt a strong urge to remain with them. They could understand her, they could help her be in control. She didn’t want to let a chance like that go.

“Nice one, dumbass,” Freckles grumbled, smacking the blond boy upside the head. “We ge’ a  new member an’ then ye make us lose ‘er.”

“I don’t see how she could be angry with you, Elizabeth,” Sieglinde shrugged, beginning to doodle mindlessly in her notebook.  Lizzy had noticed over the past few hours that the girl tended to mentally wander off with her doodling quite often.  She just supposed it was because Sieglinde was still a younger girl, she wasn’t as focused (or as concerned) as the rest. “We’re not doing anything bad here. We’re all just friends.”  She put her pencil down,  her wide, green eyes now focusing on Finny, her face painted with distraught. “We won’t lose Elizabeth and them, will we? I like everyone here. They’re my friends.”

“Of course not,” Finny replied, reaching out to ruffle the girl’s long hair, a calming smile placed on his face.  “I’m sure we’ll be able to convince Ciel that nothing’s wrong and everything will stay the same. Isn’t that right, Lizzy? We shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”

Lizzy just groaned in reply, her face buried into the throw pillow she laid on. Ciel apparently knew Alois already. He wouldn’t have a problem here. But the others would. Her manager would flip if he saw her right now, in an old, run down house with a bunch of kids calling themselves a gang. She should just call him up right now and quit on the spot. _Oh hello, Grimsby. No, nothing wrong, just joining a gang. Bye!_ It even sounded ridiculous in her thoughts. Everything was going to be ruined now, she just knew it.

“Don’ worry,” Freckles intervened  leaning over Lizzy from the back of the couch. “We’ll figure somethin’ out if this don’ work. We can all still be friends, yeah?”

“Friends….” The singer muttered softly into the pillow. “Friends sounds nice…”

“Good! Tha’ settles it, then! No matter wha’ ‘appens, ye’ll always be an ‘onorary member of our—!”

But the gang leader was soon cut off by the door to the old parlor bursting open. Lizzy didn’t even have time to properly sit up, but she froze the moment she heard the voice coming from the hall.

“ALRIGHT, YOU DAMN DELINQUENTS, WHERE’S MY SISTER?!”

No way….no fucking way. That couldn’t be…?

“…. _Edward?!”_


	6. Transparent Answer

“What are you doing here, Edward?!” Lizzy cried, lifting herself up from the couch. How did he know that she was here? Why did it have to be him?! 

Edward rushed into the hideout, gripping tightly to Ciel’s hand behind him. He was prepared to take down any of these gang members in a second if they tried to harm his family. “We’re here to rescue you! Now get over here this instant!”

Lizzy could feel her cheeks beginning to flush, all the eyes of her new friends were now on her and her brother. Oh god, he was so embarrassing….They wouldn’t want her after this display. She was going to lose the only friends she had.

Clenching her fists tightly, the singer made her way around the couch, glaring up into her brother’s hazel eyes, not even setting her sights on Ciel yet. “I’m not going anywhere, Edward. I’m staying right here.”

“But, Lizzy, it’s dangerous here! They’re a gang!”

“You really think Alois Trancy is a threat?” Ciel scoffed from behind his cousin, rolling his lone, cerulean eye. “What’s he going to do? Tap dance her to death?”

“Hey, that’s not very nice,” Alois pouted, mindlessly frolicking over towards his old friend, tugging on his free hand to save him from his cousin. Alois had heard about Edward once or twice from his cousin, Edgar. He wasn’t anything special, from what he remembered. In fact, all the praise came from a sister of his, so they must’ve meant Lizzy. He wasn’t afraid of the elder blond’s anger. He knew he had no strength to back it up with. The deceiver finally tugged Ciel free, tugging him along happily. “It’s been so long, hasn’t it? Would you like to meet my friends?”

But Ciel wasn’t having any of it. Angrily, he pulled himself away from his old friend, stopping in place to catch the blond’s attention. “First you need to tell me what you’re doing with Lizzy. Why is she here? What’s this gang of yours?” He quickly looked around at the so-called gang, to see what they were up against. Fragile Alois, a disabled girl, a feminine-looking blond boy, and some other girl who looked like she just walked out of the damn circus. What the hell kind of gang was this?

“Tha’s why we called ye ‘ere,” Freckles began, leaning over the back of the couch to address the eyepatch-clad boy. “We want ye t’join our gang.”

“Ciel, you can’t join a gang! You’re a business owner!” Edward protested, instinctively grabbing onto Lizzy tightly, making sure they wouldn’t attack if he tried to leave with her.

“Not yet,” he retorted back, his attention falling back on Alois. What would he need with a gang anyhow? What did they have in common with him? Were they….? No, it couldn’t be. Not all of these people… “Explain, Trancy.”

“Well, it’ll take a bit. So you two over there might as well get comfortable,” Alois said, cocking his head over towards the pair of siblings. “It’s a funny story anyway, you’ll love it.”

“We will do no such thing! We’re leaving immediately! Let’s go, Ciel…” Edward grumbled,  beginning to take a few steps away….but soon realized no one was following. “Ciel, get Lizzy and let’s go.”

But Ciel wasn’t in the mood for listening to his cousin. There were more important things on his mind. “Go on, Alois.”

The deceiver shrugged and perched himself up on the arm of the couch once more, turning to face his old friend. “A long time ago, I got into an accident. They thought I died. But I didn’t stay dead, you see. I went to someplace different, someplace hazy and strange. And I saw a monster, with a sharp scythe and glowing green eyes and he laughed at me. We spoke for some time and then before I knew it, I was alive again, but different.”

Edward’s attention was suddenly grabbed by the boy’s story. A monster, the haze, the glowing eyes…It seemed all so familiar. His heart began to pound,  his mind began to race, visions of that scene vividly playing in his head. His grip on Lizzy’s arm got tighter, as if he was trying to hold something in.

“Edward?” She asked, quickly turning to looking into her brother’s eyes. But Edward’s face was turned away, almost purposely. “Is everything alright?”

“I-I’m fine…Just….let him continue.”

Alois shared a quick glance over towards the Midfords, but quickly went to finish his story, as if nothing had happened. “They sent me to live in a foster home, and that’s where I met Freckles here.  She saw the Haze too. And we noticed together than something wasn’t right with us. I could manipulate reality and she could withstand any sort of blow dealt to her. We both had matching red eyes.”

Lizzy was a bit shocked by this knowledge. Alois and Freckles were siblings? And they had experienced the same fate that she did, a close accident that nearly took her life. But then she was resurrected with those scarlet eyes. Was that the case for all of them, then? Had Finny and Sieglinde died as well? And…and Ciel?

“That’s when Ciellypoo and I started talking too,” Alois continued, leaning over to ruffle the slate-colored hair of his friend. “When I learned that he was like us, we knew there were more out there. No one in our home understood us. We had other brothers and sisters, but Freckles and I were the closest.  So we made it our goal to find other people like us who could help us. We want to know why we came back, where these powers come from, how to live like normal people…”  The blond felt his face beginning to fall, which he quickly fixed with a giggle and  a smirk. “And that’s why you’re here, the both of you. We want you to join us. Don’t you wonder where it came from? Don’t you want to know why?”

There was a silence over the room after the deceiver finished his tale. For Ciel, this charade finally made more sense. Alois had wanted to lure him in, to get him out of his shell and into a community. He wasn’t sure how to take that, since he didn’t have many friends outside of Alois, nor was he particularly ready to reveal his eye ability to his family. But it was out in the open now.

“So Lizzy and I both have abilities, then?” The slate-haired boy mused aloud, crossing his arms over his chest. “How likely is it that it will happen in the same family? Who decides who gets resurrected and who passes on?”

“We dunno,” Freckles interjected, her voice ringing out solemnly. “No’ everyone who dies makes it outta the ‘aze.  We dunno why some are chosen and some ain’t.”

“But that’s what we’re here for,” Finny added as he stood, his arm around Sieglinde to help her onto the couch. “We want to know why. And we want to see if we can bring back those we’ve lost.” He could feel the girl’s hand tightly squeezing his own.  “Are you alright?” he asked her, completely blocking out the conversation behind him.

The girl shook her head in protest, her grip getting tighter. “But what if we don’t find them? What if they’re gone forever?”

Freckles leaned back over, placing a hand on Sieglinde’s shoulder, causing the younger girl to gasp. “We’ll find a way. We ‘ave more people now. We can find answers.” She looked over towards Lizzy and Ciel now, her lone eyes darting to meet with both of the cousins. “Tha’s why we need ye.  We need yer ‘elp. The more o’us there are, the less we ‘ave t’keep guessin’.”

“So what do you say?” Alois inquired, reaching a hand out to Ciel, a knowing smile plastered across his lips.

It was down to the two of them now, Ciel and Lizzy. He wasn’t quite sure how to take all this information. He did want answers, he wanted to know where this came from, who was the mastermind behind this monster. Was it a god? A devil?  He wanted to know more, he needed to know more. Why was he like this? Why was he chosen?

A feeling began stirring in his chest, nerves most likely. But using his ability, he suppressed it. A glowing red eye soon made its way over towards Lizzy, looking for a reaction from her. The girl simply stared at him, giving a short nod of her head.

“I want to stay, Ciel. I want to control my power.”

Sighing, the smaller boy turned back to Alois, grabbing his hand in an agreement. “Fine. We’ll join you. What do you think, Edward?” No response. “Edward…?”

But as Ciel and Lizzy went to look back at the elder blond, they noticed he was gone.

Where could he have run off to?

* * *

 

How did he get here? He couldn’t remember anything about who he was or where he’d just been.  He was alone, he was always alone. He didn’t keep the company of others, not like normal people. He had friends, but they were not people. They were the world around him. The chirping crickets that accompanied the evening’s setting sun,  the scurrying of field mice, seeking shelter, the slithering of the snake, hungrily consuming, squeezing out the very essence of life.

The white-haired boy had known only this. He didn’t know his parents, he didn’t know what town he was in, he didn’t even know his own name. No matter how hard he tried, he never could remember. He spent his days in the forest, his evenings roaming around the nearby town.  People liked to stare at him when he walked by. Perhaps it was his odd choice in clothing, or the strange markings that covered his skin. They always stared, and he didn’t seem to care too much. He couldn’t remember enough to carry on a conversation.

As night fell, he moved into the town, clutching tightly to the tote bag strapped across his chest.  He had to keep it closed, if he didn’t, his friends would escape, and he’d be chased from town in a second. His stomach began to gurgle and rumble as he walked, he hadn’t eaten anything since the night before. Golden eyes began ravenously searching around him for any sort of food. He had no money, so he’d have to be quick, perhaps he’d even use one of his friends to help him.

There was a scent in the air he picked up during his stroll, fire and smoke. He’d smelled smoke before, but never this pungent. It reminded him so much of… _that._ He began to follow the scent, leading him down a few suburban streets. He remembered streets like these, from the dreams he had. It was always the same, a pair of boys, identical boys. One ran into the street, the other screaming, the blood, the smoke….

The white-haired boy hadn’t even noticed that he stood in front of the very house he sought; he was too caught up in his thoughts. It was a small house, nothing special from the outside. The smell of smoke was strong from the back, the inhabitants must have been cooking outdoors. But he noticed something in the window, something out of the ordinary.  A brown-haired boy, with matching brown eyes….the same boy that he saw in his dreams. Could this be….?

Immediately, he bolted up towards the door, knocking on it was all the strength in his body. Could this be the boy he was searching for? The boy who called out to him in his dreams? A moment later, the door had opened. A tall, Indian man stood in the middle of the threshold, concerned grey eyes meeting golden ones.

“Can I…help you?”

The white-haired boy stared up at the man, his face expressionless.

“I’m here to see my friend….says Oscar.”


End file.
